Social Media Handbook

The role of social media in web projects

Social media was treated as an extension of the organisation’s communication, not as a separate universe. The website remained the reference point; social channels were ways to listen, communicate and occasionally advertise.

In the Dianthos approach, social activity was justified when:

• There were clear audiences that actually used those platforms.
• The organisation had something to say beyond direct self-promotion.
• There was capacity to respond to comments and messages in a reasonable time.
• We could link social activity to at least some measurable outcomes.

The objective was not to “be everywhere” but to be present where it made sense and to keep the experience consistent with the main site.

Profiles, pages & positioning

The basic configuration of a social presence influences everything that follows. Name, visuals, descriptions and links should make it obvious who is speaking and what they can help with.

Profile setup guidelines

• Use a consistent brand name and handle across platforms where possible.
• Align profile images, cover photos and colours with the main website design.
• Write short, concrete descriptions focused on what users can expect.
• Include links back to the website, and where relevant to key sections (for example, booking page).

Before posting, we usually documented a short positioning statement: who this account is for, what topics it covers and what tone it will use.

Content types & publishing rhythm

Social feeds move quickly. Consistency matters more than intensity. A realistic rhythm that can be sustained is better than a short burst of posts followed by silence.

Typical content categories

• Informational: explanations, guides, short tips, links to articles.
• Product / service: focused descriptions, use cases, feature highlights.
• Evidence: case studies, results, testimonials (with permission).
• Updates: changes in opening hours, events, important announcements.
• Lightweight interaction: questions, polls, simple prompts for feedback.

Publishing rhythm

• Start with a frequency the team can maintain for several months.
• Plan a basic content calendar but leave space for timely posts.
• Reuse strong content in different formats instead of constantly inventing new topics.
• Monitor which posts actually bring useful interactions or visits and adjust the mix.

The aim was to keep a steady signal, not to chase every possible trend.

Community management & moderation

Once an organisation is present on social platforms, it must be prepared to answer. Community management combines responsiveness with clear boundaries.

Basic practices

• Agree on who is responsible for monitoring messages and comments.
• Set expectations: typical response times, working hours, topics handled.
• Use a calm, respectful tone even when faced with criticism.
• Move complex or sensitive issues to private channels (email, phone) where appropriate.

Moderation principles

• Have simple written rules for what will be removed (spam, hate speech, personal attacks).
• Apply rules consistently and explain decisions briefly when needed.
• Avoid public arguments; focus on clarity and support.
• Escalate serious incidents internally instead of improvising responses.

Good moderation reduces noise and keeps the focus on helpful interactions.

Social advertising basics

Social platforms evolved into advertising systems with powerful targeting options. We treated social ads as a complement to search and other channels, not as a replacement.

When we used social ads

• To promote specific offers, events or content pieces to well-defined audiences.
• To reach lookalike audiences based on existing customers or engaged users.
• To support remarketing campaigns for users who had visited key pages.
• To test messages and visuals that could later inform other channels.

Structuring social campaigns

• Define objective clearly (reach, traffic, leads, conversions).
• Select audiences based on characteristics that matter, not on every available option.
• Keep creative simple and aligned with landing pages and brand tone.
• Limit frequency so users are not overwhelmed by repeated ads.

Measurement focused on meaningful actions, not only likes or impressions.

Metrics, KPIs & social listening

Social platforms generate large quantities of numbers. We concentrated on metrics that either reflected real engagement or improved our understanding of the audience.

Key metrics

• Reach: how many people saw the content at least once.
• Engagement: reactions, comments, shares, saves, link clicks.
• Traffic: visits to the website from social posts and ads.
• Conversions: leads, sign-ups or sales attributable to social activity.

Social listening

• Reading comments and messages for recurring questions or objections.
• Observing which topics generate genuine discussion versus superficial reactions.
• Feeding insights back into content planning, FAQs and product decisions.

The goal was to treat social channels as feedback loops, not only broadcasting tools.

Integration with the website & other channels

Social activity worked best when it had a clear relationship with the main site and with other communication channels (email, search, offline campaigns).

Typical integration points

• Using social posts to drive traffic to relevant, prepared pages on the website.
• Embedding social proof (for example selected testimonials) back onto the site.
• Announcing new articles, resources or features via social channels.
• Aligning timing of campaigns across social, email and, when applicable, offline media.

The website remained the most complete and stable reference. Social channels pointed towards it and reflected its structure and priorities.

Guidelines, tone & long-term sustainability

A social presence is sustainable when the people behind it know how to speak, what to avoid and how much time they can realistically invest.

Simple guidelines we documented

• Preferred forms of address and level of formality.
• Topics that are relevant to the audience and those that are out of scope.
• How to react to mistakes (acknowledge, correct, avoid hiding).
• When to pause communications (for example during sensitive public events).

Over time, these guidelines reduced stress for teams and made the social presence feel coherent, regardless of who was posting on a particular day.